Summer Solstice 2024: June 21 Explained - The Longest Day of the Year
June 21st marks the summer solstice, a notable event when the northern hemisphere experiences the longest day of the year, while the southern hemisphere has the shortest. In India, cities like Ujjain and Gandhi Nagar even experience a "zero shadow moment," where shadows disappear at noon. Here's all you need to know about the longest day of the year.
Summer Solstice 2024: June 21st marks the summer solstice, a notable event when the northern hemisphere experiences the longest day of the year, while the southern hemisphere has the shortest. In India, cities like Ujjain and Gandhi Nagar even experience a "zero shadow moment," where shadows disappear at noon.
But what exactly is a solstice, and why does the longest day of the year fall on this date? Here are answers to some common questions about the summer solstice.
What is a solstice?
Every day, from sunrise to sunset, the Sun's position changes from east to west. However, the Sun also moves from north to south throughout the year, though this movement is less noticeable on a daily basis.
Over time, you can observe this change by noting the Sun's position from a fixed point. Twice a year, the Sun appears to "stand still" as it reaches its northernmost and southernmost points before changing direction. These days are called solstices, derived from the Latin words "sol" (sun) and "sistere" (to stand still).
Summer Solstice 2024: June 21 Explained - The Longest Day of the Year | Freepik
The solstices occur once in the summer (around June 20-22) and once in the winter (around December 21-22).
What causes the Sun's north-south movement?
The Sun's north-south movement relative to Earth is due to our planet's axial tilt. This tilt means that Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees from vertical. As Earth revolves around the Sun, the direct sunlight shifts between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, causing the seasons. The hemisphere tilted towards the Sun experiences summer, while the other hemisphere experiences winter.
How does the summer solstice occur?
The summer solstice marks the farthest northward tilt of the Sun relative to Earth. On this day, the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer. The north pole is tilted about 23.4¡ã towards the Sun, making its rays fall directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, which is at approximately 23¡ã3¡¯ N latitude.
In simple terms, during the June summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the north pole is as tilted towards the Sun as it can be, while the south pole is as far from it as possible. This day also marks the beginning of the Sun¡¯s southward movement, known as Dakshinayan in India. Over the next six months, the Sun will move towards the south pole, eventually being directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn, at 23.5¡ãS latitude, marking the winter solstice.
What happens on the summer solstice?
The summer solstice occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward the sun is at a maximum. Therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice.
June 21, Summer Solstice 2024: FAQs
What is Summer Solstice?
The summer solstice is the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
When is Summer Solstice 2021?
Summer Solstice 2021 will occur on Monday, June 21, 2021. This event happens when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer, which is at 23.5¡ãN latitude.
Why is it called Solstice?
The term 'solstice' comes from Latin, where 'sol' means sun and 'sistere' means to stand still.
Summer Solstice vs Winter Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice a year, once in summer (June) and once in winter (December).
June Solstice/Summer Solstice: During this time, it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere (UK, USA, Canada, Russia, India, and China) and the longest day of the year. Conversely, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa) and the shortest day of the year.
December Solstice/Winter Solstice: During this time, it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere (UK, USA, Canada, Russia, India, and China) and the shortest day of the year. Meanwhile, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa) and the longest day of the year.
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Anuj Tiwari writes stories for SEO and is a Youtube wizard. An engineer turned social media champ, he keeps a track of all that goes around the world. His interest areas include historic events, political and social-sciences.
